Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
A lush, healthy lawn is every homeowner’s goal for their lawns. It helps to beautify the home and increases Its value. It is also a great space for family bonding and picnics. Maintaining the beauty of your lawn isn’t as hard as you may think. It does not require long hours of work or the use of various chemicals. All you have to do is know how to prioritize the essential things and ensure that you are careful with whatever maintenance you do for your lawn. If you want to have a healthy, beautiful lawn, then you should indulge in periodic maintenance of your lawn, no matter the climate condition.
It is advisable to use various approaches depending on the weather conditions and different seasons. In this article, you’ll find all you need to know to maintain your lawn. Also, see; best lawn mowers for small yards
A lawn mowing guide for beginners
CARING FOR YOUR LAWN IN SPRING
Your lawn needs the most attention and maintenance during spring as it has endured the winter, which can be quite harsh. Anything you do in this season will influence the health of your lawn in the coming weeks or months.
Feeding your lawn in the spring
As winter passes, you’d notice that your lawn may begin to look greener. At this point, do not start the application of fertilizers yet. It is more advisable to wait for a little till your lawn grows to an extent before applying fertilizer. This is because the roots of your grass might still save some carbohydrates from the former season, which is usually enough to sponsor an early growth in spring. It is also a known rule that the fertilizer is usually more useful after the plant/grass has finished its amenities.
If you want to get excellent results, then opt for light, organic kind of fertilizers to guarantee that you are not weakening your lawn or even burning it as it can be quite sensitive after surviving the winter. It is preferable to use tonics and liquid feeds instead of using granular fertilizers because the grass easily absorbs them. If you’re not sure which fertilizer to use, you should ask for professional help and advice.
Watering your lawn in the spring
When watering your lawn in spring, ensure that you water it nothing less than an inch per week because the soil is still filled with moisture. If you want to determine the moisture content in the soil, you can conduct a simple test with the help of a screwdriver. If the screwdriver enters the soil easily, then your lawn isn’t dehydrated yet.
If you’re based in an environment with constant rainfall, it is better to leave your sprinkler system off because you don’t want to overwater your lawn. After all, that will make the roots drown and invite the growth of weeds. The perfect time to water your lawn in spring is when the grass starts to wilt. A t this time, the grass tends to grow much more and even grow deeper roots. You’ll need those deep roots later on when it’s a dry season/during summer.
Overseeding in spring
Overseeding is a process of spreading grass seeds all over your lawn without necessarily turning the soil underneath. This process helps to thicken your grass, and spring is the best time to carry it out, especially if you use sod grasses, which are famous for their ability to grow thicker under overseeding conditions.
Moreover, it is debatable whether this process is effective for cold-season sod grasses in spring or not. If your lawn is in good condition and wasn’t damaged from winter, you can conduct the process of overseeding twice a year.
Control of pests in spring
Once the spring weather begins to warm up, the soil, bugs, and earthworms may surface to the soil level, but moles may also appear too, and these moles damage and condemn the root’s structure when they are looking for worms to eat. Canada and U.S house the most moles in North America. The most regular kind of moles being the eastern mole, and it is usually found in the Northeast and Southeast.
Moles are usually around throughout fall, summer and spring, but the perfect time to lay a trap for moles is in the springtime because they wouldn’t have built more tunnels. All you need is to use a poisonous bait on a harpoon trap and place it in the tunnel.
Weed control in spring
Weeds tend to germinate around late spring and start to surface around summertime but not to worry. You can control and terminate weeds using a pre-emergent herbicide. This herbicide is an essential element of a relatively potent chemical control strategy. You can find this herbicide in most supermarkets. Ensure that you apply it 10-15 days before the period of weed germination. You may decide to use a post-emergent herbicide in spring against wide leaf weeds that emerge in the summertime.
Aeration and dethatching in springtime
Ensure that you use a leaf rake to detach any twigs or leaves that may have gathered on your lawn during winter.
Clearing and cleaning off dead leaves and debris will help you to apply fertilizers and herbicides easily.
It is also essential that you have the soil aerated, especially when it is damp. Aeration will help ensure that water, nutrients, and oxygen get to the bottom roots resulting in a very healthy lawn. Watch out for lawn diseases like fairy rings, necrotic ring spot, and so on.
CARING FOR YOUR LAWN IN SUMMER
mowing your lawn in the summer
If your grass has overgrown, it’ll require more nutrients and water to grow in good health. It is advisable that you keep your lawn short enough and trim it properly to reduce the stress on the grass. This enables the plants to be in good, healthy shape.
During summertime, ensure to mow your lawn consistently so that it can maintain a good condition. You should cut your grass to the height of about 2.5-3 inches to avoid losing a lot of coverage/surface because it is a substantial change in its photosynthetic capability, causing serious issues. Although during this season, you can level your grass to a shorter length for better exposure to sunlight.
Watering
Now it is time for you to turn on your sprinklers
You may have to water your lawn depending on your kind of soil. For example, loamy soil is to be watered 1.8inches-25inches while sandy soil is to be watered 0.8-1.2inches, and lastly, clay soil is to be watered 2.2-3.2 inches. As soon as you have determined the kind of soil underneath your lawn, you have to re-adjust your sprinkler timing. For this, the soak and cycle method is recommended.
Your sprinkler should be turned on for about fifteen minutes, and then use a ruler to measure the containers, repeat the process one more time. Taking these measurements will help you to know the rate of flow of your sprinkler system.
Early in the morning is the most suitable time to have your lawn watered, just before the sun increases and gets too high. Do not water your lawn at night as it can leave your lawn open to diseases.
pest and weed control in summer
If you don’t control and eliminate weeds, they’ll surface in the summer and may even dominate the grass on your lawn. You can remove the weeds using two methods, which are chemical and cultural control.
Cultural control is a traditional method of uprooting weeds with your hands to create space for the turf grass to grow. If your lawn has just a few amounts of weeds, then this is a simple solution for you. Simply pluck them out.
Chemical control is a stronger remedy, especially if weeds fully populate your lawn. During summer, watch out for diseases like powdery mildew, red thread, Necrotic ring spot, and so on.
CARING FOR YOUR LAWN IN FALL
Dethatching and aeration
Fall is the most critical season to prepare and develop your lawn in time for the forthcoming winter conditions. Thatch is the accumulation on your lawn, so you should regularly detach to allow your grass’s smooth growth. Normally, detaching should be done every season, but fall brings about more thatch than in any other season. Ensure that you detach as consistently as possible so that it doesn’t overshadow your lawn and even block sunlight while trapping too much moisture.
Aeration is beneficial to all lawns, and it is a process of putting holes into your lawn to break down compressed soil. Now, the sole purpose of aeration is to allow for the free flow of nutrients and water to the roots. You can use a spading fork to poke holes about 4inches deep and then push it back and forth. This will help to create space for upcoming grassroots and loosen up the soil.
Fertilizing and mowing in fall
You can avoid your lawn turning brown by using a slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of fall. Do not fertilize a dehydrated lawn and have it in mind to purchase a fertilizer with controlled-release nitrogen because nitrogen helps maintain your grass’s green color. Remember to apply fertilizer after rainfall or watering using a drop spreader or a broadcaster for uniform coverage of your lawn.
Although the temperature may not be favorable, the grass will continue to grow even though it may not be fast, like in the summer. Cut it consistently and maintain a height of about 2-3 inches. If it grows too tall, it may become prone to diseases.
CARING FOR YOUR LAWN IN WINTER
The harsh conditions of the winter will most likely kill your grass, either by freezing or browning, but it doesn’t mean you should abandon it. You should plan and prepare early for the winter by rounding up on the things you want to do on your lawn. You can rake out the dead leaves.
Preserve your lawn by keeping away from it, and also avoid parking vehicles on your lawn. Do not forget to water your lawn.
CONCLUSION
No matter the season, maintaining your lawn is essential to keep it looking beautiful and healthy. Although maintenance may differ based on the season, it is very important and must not be skipped if you have a lawn.
